Tashilhungpo Monastery　　　　　　　　　　　　　More Pictures

　　The Tashilhungpo Monastery, located on the southern slope of the Nyimari Mountain northwest of the city of Xigaze, is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect, and the largest one in western Tibet.

　　Gendain Zhuba, the most famous disciple of Master Zongkapa and the 1st Dalai Lama, built the Tashilhungpo Monastery. He was born into a herder family in Gumo, Tibet, and studied Buddhist doctrines from childhood. Later, he studied under Zongkapa and became a noted Buddhist master. With aid from Qoixiong Namba Soinam Baisang and Qoingyiba Soinam Benjor, nobles from western Tibet, Gendain Zhuba built the Tashilhungpo Monastery in 12 years, beginning in 1447. He served as its first chief abbot. In 1600, the 4th Dalai Lama Lobsang Qoigyi Gyaincain expanded the monastery. Following nearly constant reconstruction thereafter, the Tashilhungpo Monastery stands at an impressive scale today. Covering a construction area of 300,000 square meters, the monastery housed some 4,000 monks during its peak period.

　　The Tashilhungpo Monastery is composed of four Zhacang Buddhist colleges, 62 Myicuns (organized in accor-dance with where monks come from), Buddha halls and close to 60 memorial halls and holy stupas. The censtral part of the monastery contain the Coqen Hall, the four Zhacangs, the Lhadrang palace residence for the Panchen Erdeni, the Qamba Buddha Hall and the memorial halls and holy stupas for the Panchen Lamas.

　　The Coqen Hall, the earliest building of the Tashilhungpo Monastery, is complete with a sutra lecturing ground with an area of 500 square meters. Its Sutra Hall, propped up by 48 pillars, is large enough to hold 3,000 people, making it the primary site of the monastery's religious activities. the purity chamber of the hall is enshrined with the statue of Sakyamuni (created by Gendain Zhuba in memory of his sutra teacher Xerab Senge) and the statues of Zongkapa and his two disciples. To the right of the purity chamber is the Qamba Buddha Hall, which houses the 11-meter-high statue of Qamba Buddha. On either side of the Qamba Buddha are the statues of the Goddess of Mercy and the Wisdom Buddha which were created by the 1st Dalai Lama himself. To the left of the purity chamber is the Tara Hall with the gilded statue of White Tara. To the west of the hall are the Buddhist Guardian Hall, the Great Dignity and Virtue Hall, the Six-Armed Master Hall, the White-Clothes Master Hall and the Hall for the Goddess of Fortune.

　　Xaze, Gyikang, Tosangling and Ngaba are the four major Zhacangs (Buddhist colleges) of the Tashilhungpo Monastery.

　　The Xaze Zhacang is enshrined mainly with the fresco figure of Zongkapa and gilded statues of Sakyamuni and the Six-Armed Master.

　　The Gyikang Zhacang is complete with a Grand Sutra Hall propped up by 24 pillars. The hall is enshrined with the statues of Sakyamuni, his eight disciples, Zarima Buddha, and Sister Buddhist Guardians.

　　The Tosangling Zhacang also has a Grand Sutra Hall which is propped up by 24 pillars. The hall is composed of the Eastern and Western Purity Chambers. The Western Purity Chamber is enshrined with the statue of Sakyamuni, the 11-face Goddess of Mercy and the Vajra Holder. The Eastern Purity Chamber contains the statues of Sakyamuni and his two disciples, and the heavenly female Buddhist Guardian.

　　The Ngaba Zhacang is the Tantric College of the Tashilhungpo Monastery. Built by the 4th Panchen Lobsang Qoigyi Gyaincain in 1615, the Zhacang has a Sutra Hall kpropped up by 16 pillars. The walls inside the hall are painted with figures of related Buddhas and masters. Also in the hall are the silver holy stupa for Master Goinjor Gyaincain and the holy trone for Vajra Master.

　　The Tashilhungpo Monastery boasts four Lhadrang palace residences for the Panchen Erdeni. In 1660 when the 4th Panchen Lobsang Qoigyi Gyaincain succeeded as the 16th abbot of the monastery, he had the monastery expanded. In 1645, Gushri Khan granted Lobsang Qoigyi Gyaincain the title of Panchen Pokto (Pokto means a "wise and brave man" in Mongolian). In 1713, the Qing court granted the title of Panchen Erdeni to the 5th Panchen Lobsang Yexei. From then on, the Panchen earned his official position and the Tashilhungpo Monastery became his residence.

　　The Qamba Buddha Hall, built by the 9th Panchen Qoigyi Nyima in 1914, stands 30 meters high. Covering a construction area of 862 square meters, the hall is divided into five sub-halls called Lotus Throne, Waist, Chest, Face, and Crown. There is a wooden starcase leading to each sub-hall. Building the Qamba Buddha statue consumed a total of 8,928 taels of gold and 115,725 kg of red copper. The statue of Qamba Buddha is 26.7 meters high, with its face extending 4.2 meters wide, each ear 2.8 meters long, each hand 1.6 meters wide and 3.6 meters long, its feet each 4.2 meters long, and its shoulders 11.5 meters wide. The Qamba Buddha statue has shoulders inlaid with a diamond that has a diameter of 3 cm, 32 diamonds each with a diameter of 1 cm, 300 large pearls, and 1,400 amber, corals and turquoises.

　　The Tashilhungpo Monastery once had holy stupas and memorial halls for the 4th-9th Panchen Lamas. In 1982, the holy stupa and memorial hall for the 4th Panchen Lama was rebuilt with state investment. In 1985, the state earmarked special funds for the reconstruction of the memorial hall and holy stupa for the 5th-9th Panchen Lamas, a project undertaken under the leadership of the 10th Panchen Erdeni. The holy stupa stands 11.52 meters tall and the memorial hall is 35.17 meters high. Construction of the memorial hall and holy stupa, with a total area of 1,933 square meters, drew to a successful end in December 1988. In January 1989, the 10th Panchen Erdeni died of a sudden heart-attack in his residence in the Tashilhungpo Monastery. On January 30, the PRC State Council decreed that a gold stupa would be built for the remains of the late master. Construction of the stupa and memorial half for the 10th Panchen Erdeni began on September 20, 1990 with an investment of 64 million yuan, plus gold, silver and pearls, from the Central Government, and was commissioned and consecrated at a ceremony held on September 4, 1993.
The Tashhilhungpo Monastery has an architectural style much like other Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. It was built along a mountain with halls closely knit in layout. The memorial hall and holy stupa for the 5th-9th Panchen Lamas and the memorial hall and holy stupa for the 10th Panchen Erdeni were all built in the Tibetan style. While modern building materials, such as reinforced concrete and cement, were used, the stone and wood structure has been retained.

　　The Tashilhungpo Monastery holds religious rituals on the 8th, 15th and 30th days of each Tibetan month. In addition, it holds the Miraculour Festival on the 15th day of the first Tibetan month, the Sagya Dawa Festival in the fourth Tibetan month, and the Dissension Festival on the 22nd day of the ninth Tibetan month. Religious rituals are held on the 25th day of the 10th Tibetan month to mark the demise of Zongkapa. Of all the festivals, the Simochinmo, similar to the Shoton (Sour Milk Drinking) Festival in Lhasa area, is the most spectacular.
The Tashilhungpo Monastery boasts priceless Buddha statues, Buddha pagodas and tangka paintings, as well as handwritten Pattra Leaf Sutra, and Gangyur and Dangyur written in gold power ink. In addition, the Tashilhungpo Monastery has a rich collection of porcelain, enamel, and glassware passed down from various dynasties. All these are valuable for Tibetan studies.

　　Frescoes in the Tashilhungpo Monastery are of a special character. They feature changing shapes and bright colors, constituting another masterpiece of Tibetan Buddhist art.